Fatal penetrating head injury by bamboo fragments

Penetrating head injury by foreign body is relatively uncommon and has been scattered reported in the literature. In this case, a transorbital impalement wound inflicted by bamboo objects was discussed. A 61-year-old alcoholized man died from a transorbital intracranial wound due to penetration of the left orbit after falling from a slope beside the road. Although the facial impalement injury was small and unobtrusive, the penetrating trauma itself could induce lethal consequences, special attention should be paid to such kind of cases. The autopsy and pathological examination revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain contusion and intraparenchymal hematoma. Some pieces of bamboo were also detected in the left anterior cranial fossa. Based on all of the evidence and information, we can draw a conclusion that the bamboo was the instrument causing the injuries and the case was considered as accident.